Common Misconception
by Silver Moon Vampiress
Summary: An indirect rejection leads to a situation of mistaken identity. Kouga x Kikyo Rated M for eventual lemon . . .
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here's a one-shot I've had on the back burner for a while that I'm hoping will jumpstart my creative juices enough to write for my other stories. I've neglected them for so long, it's about time I complete them. This will be my project for the year. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Truly and sincerely, I do not own Inuyasha, but I certainly enjoy borrowing the characters for my twisted plots!

*Note: Kouga doesn't have his Jewel shards.*

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><p><span>Common Misconception<span>

The scent of rosemary carried by the wind, struck his senses like the resonating hum of a harp string. It stirred a longing in him that had nothing to do with bloodlust. It was love that moved him to follow the scent of the woman he had set his sights on since the day he kidnapped her.

"Kagome . . ."

He whispered her name into the moonlit night, savoring the each syllable that rolled from his throat, across his tongue and out his mouth to join the open air. His heart throbbed in want. Though only a human, she had captured his heart. No other female—demon or otherwise—had ever been able to effectively snare him, so it came as a surprise when he realized how quickly he'd fallen for the miko. And though he had made his intentions clear, she had yet to return his feelings. Perhaps it was her devotion for that mutt-faced half demon that prevented her from confessing her true feelings. Whatever the reason, he was certain that in time, his devotion to her would eventually tear her away from Inuyasha.

It was an eventual outcome he could no longer stand to wait for. His need to have her by his side bypassed all reasonable thoughts of understanding and patience. He yearned for nothing more than her concession to what he had been plainly expressing to her ever since their first encounter—an expression of love and devotion that the half-breed was so reluctant to admit to, though his actions spoke more than his words of denial. Kouga, leader of the wolf demon tribe, knew that Inuyasha's reluctance to express his true feelings for Kagome was the only reason why there was still a chance for him to be with Kagome.

The eventual occurrence of Kagome growing tired of the half-breed's lack of commitment was something he longed for. It was his chance to sweep her away from heartbreak and into the arms of everlasting love. Tonight more than ever, he itched to go to her. To hold her tightly against him and whisper the words she had longed to hear from another. His heart leapt in his chest; the wind carried another delightful whiff of her scent and before long he was weaving through the silky darkness that shrouded the nearby forest.

The stinging smack of a strong wind, blinded him, and yet her scent compelled him still. He followed the weightless trail until he pinpointed the spot where it appeared to be the strongest. Another coarse wind swept across his face, bringing with it the scent of Inuyasha and from it alone Kouga could tell that the half-breed had turned human. He knew Inuyasha to be less of a threat to him in this weakened state and boldly ventured closer to an opening in the forest where Inuyasha and Kagome sat alone, snuggled against the warmth of a campfire. He crept closer still, avoiding leaves and twigs that might alert either of them to his presence.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha sat in silence beside each other. Kagome held Inuyasha's precious sword the Tetsusaiga in both hands, as if to ward off any evil surrounding them. It was long time before the silence was breached and Kouga nearly leapt up at the sound of Kagome's voice.

Without turning to watch his face, she asked, "What do you see when you look at me, Inuyasha?"

The hesitance in her voice reflected her apprehension over asking such a question, but she just had to have an answer. She needed to know that Inuyasha at least saw her as an individual and not as a reflection of his long lost love, Kikyo.

A silence swelled between them and filled the clearing, only broken by the occasional cries of demons, the whisper of wind through the treetops and the crackle of the fire before them. Inuyasha turned away a moment, not sure how to answer her question. What did he see when he saw her? Was he ready to admit what he had tried to keep secret for so long? How would she react to his response?

"I see Kikyo," he said.

Kagome's shoulders tensed up as tears began to form. She regretted asking, but she had to know the truth. She didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want to hope anymore. And she certainly didn't want to feel her heart break in her chest anymore. Anger broke over her, raising gooseflesh along her arms, but receded just as quickly as it came. She felt weary, wounded and longed for some time away from the pain, but it wasn't something she could easily escape. At the moment, the least she could do was get away from the immediate cause of it.

Kouga wanted nothing more than to tear Inuyasha apart for hurting Kagome, but he held himself still to avoid giving away his presence. He would watch until Kagome left and then he would kill the mutt himself. But for now he could only stand by, watching the scene unfold, despite his longing to jump in and interfere.

Kagome stood fully prepared to leave; tears were already trailing down her pale cheeks and dotting the ground with moisture. Inuyasha reached out and caught her arm before she could make her escape, his grip firm enough to bruise.

"You didn't let me explain," he said.

His gaze found hers when she turned, arm still held by his hand clamped against her flesh.

He waited a heartbeat before continuing. "It's true that I see Kikyo when I look at you, but that is less than half of what I see." Inuyasha averted his gaze to gather his resolve before locking gazes with her again with an intensity that nearly dropped her to her knees.

"Physically you are her, but personality-wise, you are more lively, expressive and passionate than Kikyo ever was, dead or alive. Even though I longed for Kikyo's memory, you stood by my side no matter how much it hurt you. Your expression of concern and you're devotion are something that the reanimate Kikyo could never replicate."

"What are you trying to say?" It was simple question, but it held a weight to it, a meaningful substance that could change the dynamic of their relationship.

This time, though the urge was stronger than ever, Inuyasha did not look away, but instead, drew Kagome down by his side so she was eye level with him. "I'm saying, Kagome, that I choose you. It's been you from the beginning. I was just too blind to see it and was too afraid to share what lay within my heart for the longest time."

Kagome's heart leapt in her chest with joy; Kouga's trembled with the beginnings of a painful heartbreak. And yet, Kouga felt compelled to watch to the bitter end, to find out if Kagome would return his feelings. If she did, any hope of an eventuality yielding itself into an actuality would diminish rapidly. The pain of an indirect rejection would drive him over the edge, to the very brink of madness.

The final blow pierced him through, tearing at his raw flesh like the jagged edges of a rusted blade.

Kagome's lips met Inuyasha's, tears still glittering at the corners of her eyes. "I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that," she said when they parted.

"And I've been waiting a long time for the right moment to do this." Inuyasha took possession of Kagome's mouth with an aggressive assault of lips and tongue, making known to her all that he had neglected to say to her all this time. Kagome returned his aggressiveness with a ferocity of her own that drew a groan from him.

Kouga's stomach heaved in revulsion, bile building high in his chest and inching a burning path up his esophagus and into his mouth. His vision danced with dark spots and his legs were unable to hold him. His heart cried out against the betrayal he'd just witnessed and urged him to flee from the source of his pain, just as Kagome had attempted to do just moments before. He stumbled away, not caring that his careless movements had alerted Kagome and Inuyasha.

Tears were in his eyes, obscuring his vision as he ran. Nothing mattered in that moment except isolating himself from the world. A thick root caught his ankle and he was down in a pile of wet leaves. He laid there for countless seconds, hours, minutes, allowing his tears to flow onto to the moist bed of vegetation clinging wetly to his face. Exhaustion hit drawing him into the forceful embrace of a heartbroken slumber.

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><p>AN: Okay, so this isn't going to be a one-shot. I'm breaking this up into two parts. I'm not feeling all too confident about the writing in this. Please tell what you think. Rake me over the coals for all I care. Reviews, constructive criticism and flames are graciously accepted.

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	2. Chapter 2

The scent of rosemary assaulted his senses, this time closer than before, and startled him awake. It was strong, enticing him to pursue what was not physically there for him to caress. There was a distinct difference in this tantalizing waft of weightless air. The scent was augmented by the hint of damp earth, and yet, still retained its original appeal. In an instant he was sprinting, weaving through the trees, dodging obstacles blindly. Kagome was nearby. Something inside of him refused to believe the reality of what he had just witnessed earlier. He dismissed it as nothing more than a projection of his greatest fear and pressed on in search of the woman he longed for. Wind swept the treetops above, making the shadows cast along the ground distort the patches of moonlight painting the ground.

Kouga's heart raced. He was nearly within reach of her—the only woman he'd ever loved. He broke through the throng of trees that made up the forest and stumbled into a clearing. Moist blades of grass reflected the moon's light, casting away the shadows that huddled in the surrounding forest. The scent was strongest here. His eyes scanned the surrounding area and found the object of his avid pursuit. She stood with her back to him, raven tresses taken by the wind's forceful direction.

A voice that was unlike Kagome's shattered the silence that existed in the clearing. "Who are you?"

"Kagome . . .?" The wind tore her name from his mouth and reached the woman's ears.

"I am not who you seek. Now leave before I destroy you."

Disillusioned, and in desperate need of closure, he took a step forward.

"Do not come near me. I am not the one you seek. Do not force me to kill you needlessly. Leave now if you value your life." The last was said with an edge of bitterness that could not be ignored.

"Who are you?" Kouga ventured closer, caution lost to him. This was not Kagome, he was certain, but yet . . . she smelled so striking similar to her that he could hardly tell the difference.

Kikyo turned to face Kouga, hair clinging to her face before being torn away to dance in the wind sweeping across her back.

"This is your last warning. Leave or I'll have no choice but to shoot you." Her threat was backed by an arrow pointed steadily at his chest.

Brown eyes met blue from only a few feet away, an arrow and the potential for a painful death establishing a barrier between them.

"Who are you?" Kouga's question penetrated the deep silence that sat heavily between them.

"Who _I am_ is _none_ of your concern."

"Are you Kagome? Are you the woman I love?" The question held a plea captive that Kikyo didn't quite understand.

"I am not who you think I am. Now _leave_!" The force of her words acted as no more of a deterrent than the wind slicing through the blades of grass at their feet. Kouga took a bold step in her direction. Without thinking, she released her arrow, aiming for the ground as a warning.

She drew another arrow from her quiver and poised it against her bow. "One more step and the next arrow is going straight through your heart.

She watched his eyes, watched him think over the possibilities, the consequences, and knew in an instant what he would decide. He was fast though, faster than she expected and he was within arm's reach before she could fire a second arrow. In the blink of an eye she was flat on her back, pinned beneath his weight. She fought against him, frustration lancing through her. He held her fast and peered down at her with confusion peppering his expression.

From this close he could tell from scenting her alone, that though she looked like Kagome, she was not who he had assumed her to be. And not only that, when she finally gave into his strength and met his gaze, he saw a sadness reflected in those dark pools that Kagome's eyes couldn't possibly possess. In those depths he saw pain and knowledge of things no one should experience in this lifetime or the next. This woman beneath him was not Kagome.

Knowing this, he knew he should've rolled off of her and apologized for his rude behavior, but he didn't want to move. Something about the intensity of her dark eyes held him fast above her.

"Who are you?" His breath caressed the cold perfection of her face, warming only the surface of her frigid body.

Her pain liquefied itself before trailing down her face to mingle with the moisture that saturated the stretch of grass beneath her. Kouga brushed the back of his hand against her wet cheek gently and Kikyo turned into the caress, lashes resting against her pale cheekbones.

"Kikyo . . . My name is . . . Kikyo."

A silence built between them; time seemed to freeze so that all that existed in that moment were the two of them.

"Does this mean you will leave me too now that I am no longer the person you seek?" The bitterness, the genuine anguish that tinged her words, seized his heart and wouldn't let go.

He stood and offered her a hand, which she accepted with a firm, cool grip.

"It seems we have something in common. We've both been discarded, forgotten."

"How can you assume to share something in common with me, when you know nothing about me or the pain I have suffered through? I do not even know who you are." Her anger warmed the air around them.

"I am Kouga, leader of the wolf demon tribe. And I believe I understand a little bit of the pain you've suffered through. Kagome, the woman I had mistaken you for, is in love with my rival Inuyasha . . ."

"Inuyasha? How do you know of him?"

Recognition shone within the depths of her eyes. Perhaps they shared more in common than she thought.

"I know him because he stole the woman I loved, tonight, right before my very eyes." His voice reflected a neutrality that bellied the searing stab of pain shooting through his ravaged heart.

"So . . . he chose her . . . over me . . . ?" The sadness had returned, radiating like an invisible, flame-like aura engulfing her flesh.

She turned away, tears forming in her eyes. She knew that a day would come when Inuyasha would move on to her reincarnation. Clinging to a memory of what she had been was no longer satisfactory to him. Her reasons for continuing on this earth had been grossly reduced. While Inuyasha moved on, she was stuck in the body of a memory cast aside and so easily forgotten.

"I see . . ." Her tone was resigned, and trembled with the reality of a pointless existence. "Perhaps there are some similarities to the situations we've found ourselves in, however, the similarities end there."

Kikyo picked up her bow and quiver of arrows. "This is where we part ways."

She was barely two steps away from him when he caught her wrist. He whirled her around to face him and drew her tight against his chest. Her bow and quiver slipped from her grasp, coming to rest silently in the blanket of grass stretched beneath their feet.

"Let me _go_! _Please_, let me go!"

She fought him with dwindling resolve to resist his embrace. How long had it been since she'd been held this way? Why was it that in his arms, and not Inuyasha's, that she felt like herself? Her pain and sadness seemed to melt away.

After several minutes of attempting to break free, she relented, arms dropping limply at her sides. Kouga shivered when Kikyo returned his embrace, cool hands splayed against the bare flesh of his upper back. He stroked her hair, taking note of the silky feel of each strand trailing through his fingers. He had no idea what had compelled him to comfort this woman. Perhaps it was the pain reflected in her eyes; it mirrored the hurt he was feeling inside from a wound freshly torn open.

Kouga stepped back enough so that he could view her face without breaking their embrace and locked gazes with her. He cupped her face, damp with silent tears. He brushed away the stray trails of moisture running down her pale cheeks, and captured her lips with his. It was a tentative press of intimacy, uncertain and yet firm in its intentions. He expected her to fight, to recoil and destroy him like she had threatened to do moments prior, and yet, all she could do—all she wanted to do—was cling to the affection Kouga was so willing to share with her. She needed it; she craved it more than her continued existence on this Earth.

Her hunger for what he so graciously gave to her without knowing much more than she knew about him, astounded her, and the desire to fill a vacancy in her heart, long since forgotten radiated from within, and morphed the kiss into a heated, starving beast of passion. And yet underneath the uncontrollable desire boiling beneath her cool skin, was a primitive, almost childish need to be comforted.

Kouga responded in kind to her sudden aggression with some of his own. Breathless gasps for air were no hindrance to the passion that was building between them. Heat ignited wherever they touched. And yet, guilt struck them both, and they parted, wearing matching expressions of confusion.

"This isn't right . . ." Kouga's expression morphed into one of guilt.

"We're both suffering from indirect rejections and I can't help but feel like I'm taking advantage of the fact that you are very much like the woman that broke my heart. A selfish part of me wants to pretend you're her and move on as though I never witnessed such a heartbreaking scene."

Kikyo dreaded this response from him. "I'm sorry I'm not _her_ . . ."

Before she could say more, Kouga reached for her again, drawing her into another fierce embrace. All the words, all the curses she wanted to direct his way, melted away in his arms.

"But . . . The other half of me wants to love you better than anyone ever has. I know you're not her and I've come to terms with that. I want _you_ Kikyo. I want to ease your pain, comfort you, make you happy and . . ."

Kikyo latched her lips onto his this time, silencing him before he could utter more. She'd heard all she needed to hear.

She stepped away and locked gazes with him. "That's all I ever wanted to hear. I've longed for someone to see me exactly the way I am."

She said no more. Words were a wasted effort when she could easily express every syllable she voiced with equal or greater emotion and force.

They were both hurting and this seemed like that most natural way to ease the pain and move on.

A/N: So this is part of the second half of this story. I'm really like this pairing from a psychological romance standpoint, and I enjoy writing about their pain, and helping them work through it. I'm curious to see what you all think, and that will determine whether or not I should make this into a full blown story. Naturally there will be a lemon, and I was going to write it in this chapter, but I feel it's way too soon. I'd like to play around with these two more and perhaps thrown in some more complications.


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